Automatic vibrator roll



May 15, 1956 N. DAVIS AUTOMATIC VIBRATOR ROLL 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.N052. DAV/5 4% j WWW 2N ys an R R A rra Filed March 19, 1953 MK vb May15, 1956 N. DAVIS AUTOMATIC VIBRATOR ROLL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March19, 1953 INVENTOR. NOEL 0/9V/5 BY; 2 I

United States Patent AUTOMATIC VIBRATOR ROLL Noel Davis, Gates Mills,Ohio, assignor to Harris-Seybold Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporationof Delaware Application March 19, 1953, Serial No. 343,313

10 Claims. (Cl. 101348) This invention relates to improvements inautomatic vibrator rolls for use in the inking mechanisms of printingpresses. A vibrator roll is one which is caused to bear upon other inkrollers and in addition to rotation has endwise movement back and forthfor distributing and smoothing out the ink to be applied to the formcylinder of the press. The means for inducing reciprocating movement ofthe roll in the present instance is a two-way screw fixed in the frameof the machine, with the threads of which a driving dog carried by theroll cooperates.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of a vibrating rollwhich will function smoothly and with certainty over a long period ofuse, and the parts of which will not be subject to breakage or unduewear.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novel mounting forthe driving dog which has a pivotal movement for reversing the directionof travel.

A further object is the provision of an oscillator mounted interiorlyupon the roll and surrounding the screw, which oscillator may consist ofan annulus that carries the driving dog and a pair of diametricallyopposed trunnions for insuring accuracy in the pivotal mounting of thedriving dog upon the roll.

Another object is the provision of a dog having a crescent contour ofsuch form as to have maximum bearing on the screw threads While avoidingany interference with the threads at the instant of reversal.

Other objects and features of novelty will appear as I proceed with thedescription of those embodiments of the invention which, for thepurposes of the present application, I have illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is an elevational view partly in longitudinal section of avibrator roll embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 22of Fig. 1 illustrating my improved means for mounting the travellerwhich carries the driving dog.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional View taken substantially on the line 33of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail elevational view illustrating the annulus whichcarries the crescent shaped dog and the trunnions by means of which theannulus is pivoted.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional View taken substantially on the line 5-5 ofFig. 4.

Fig. ,6 is a cross-sectional view similar to Fig. 2, but showing amodification.

Fig. 7 is an elevational view of the driving dog of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of the dog taken substantially on the line 88of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the driving dog of Figs. 7 and 8.

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a further modification.

Fig. 11 is an elevational view of the driving dog of Fig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view of the dog of Fig. 11 taken substantially onthe line 12-12 of Fig. 11, and I Fig. 13 is a plan view of the drivingdog of Fig. 11.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawing, 10 is 2,745,343 PatentedMay 15, 1956 a shaft which is fixed in the side frame members, notshown, of the inking mechanism of a printing press. Upon this shaftthere is a fixed sleeve 11 in which are cut the reverse threads of atwo-way screw. At one end of the screw and surrounding sleeve 11 thereis a reversing collar 12. Beyond the latter the sleeve is threaded and anut 13 is screwed onto the sleeve in tight engagement with the collar12, after which a tapered hole is drilled through the joint between thecollar and nut, through the sleeve 11 and into the shaft 19 to take atapered pin 14 by means of which these parts are held in fixed relation.At the opposite end of the screw there is a reversing block orhalf-collar 15, corresponding in function to collar 12, which bearsagainst an annular abutment 16 that is integral with sleeve 11 and issecured to the shaft by a pin 9 or other suitable means. One or morepins 17 extend through abutment 16 into half-collar 15 for holding thelatter in the desired angular position.

Surrounding the shaft and the screw mounted thereon there is a roll theactive part of which is a cylindrical shell 18 of metal or other hardmaterial adapted to bear upon other rollers of an inking mechanism andto be rotated by friction from such other roller or rollers. One end ofthe shell is closed by a plug 19 which carries a bushing 20 that isslidable and rotatable upon shaft 19. intermediate the ends of the rollthere is a reinforcement 21 with a bore of sufiicient size to clear thethreads of the screw and the parts 15 and i6.

Abutting against the reinforcement 21 there is a housing which at itsleftend comprises a relatively wide head 22. Preferably head 22 isprovided with a dowel 22 which enters a recess in reinforcement 21 forpreventing relative rotation between these two parts. From this head 22there extend two longitudinal bars 23, see Fig. 3, which tie head 22 tohead 24, the latter carrying a bushing 25 that is slidable and rotatableupon the shaft. At its right hand end shell 18 is internally threaded totake an externally threaded nut 26. By means of this nut the housing isheld up against the reinforcement 21 and is locked to shell 18. Theupper portion of the head 22 of the housing, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2,is cut out to receive a cap 27 which in the assembled condition issecured to the head 22 by means of screws 28. In the head 22 and cap 27there are diametrically opposed bores 29 and 36 which receive bushings31 and 32.. In these bushings there are oscillatably mounted alignedtrunnions 33 and 34 which project outwardly from an oscillator which inthis instance comprises an annulus 35.

The inner surface of annulus 35 is beveled outwardly in both directionsfrom its median plane 36, as indicated at 37 and 38, Fig. 5. A dog 44)of crescent shape is formed integral with the annulus. At its centralpoint opposite the trunnion 34 the crescent has its maximumcross-sectional dimension which fits slidably but rather closely intothe groove of one of the threads of the screw. From this point thecross-sectional dimensions of the crescent decrease toward its ends. Thewidth where the crescent joins the surfaces 37 and 38 of the annulus,referred to as the outer-surface of the crescent, decreases as thecrescent proceeds towards its ends, while its width along its innersurface which just clears the root of tr e screw thread decreases at agreater rate to compensate for the combination of face and helix angleson the surface of the screw threads. The inner surface of the crescenthas a slight ridge 41 in the plane 36, the inner surface of the crescentbeing beveled away from this ridge at the same angles as the surfaces 37and of the annulus. The sides 42 of the crescent are concave, and thecontours are such that a maximum bearing of the crescent in the threadsis attained consistent with sure and accurate reversing movement of thedog at the ends of the stroke. The head '22, the annulus 35 or otheroscillator,v the crescent 40 and the trunnions. 33.and 34 arehereinafter referred to as a traveller. V

Themechanism is so designed that assembly of the parts is simple andeasy. The screw sleeve 11 with collar 15 is 33 extended into bushing 31after which cap 27 is put in place with bushing 32 receiving trunnion 34and the screws 28 are threaded home. Next the housing assembly,including the oscillator 33, 34, 35, is slid over the shaft from rightto left, the collar 12 and the nut 13 being not yet in place, and thecrescentis caused to enter the then open end of the screw. Now thecollar 12 and nut 13 with locking pin 14 are put in position. The screwand housing being thus assembled, they are inserted into the shell fromthe right end thereof as viewed in the drawing, the shaft being causedto extend through bushing 20. The bushing 25 is then mounted on theright hand end of the V shaft and'the nut 26 is threaded home, wherebythe housing is gripped tightly between the annular reinforcement 21 andthe nut 26 and thus secured to shell 18.

Suitable lubricating means is provided. 45 is a grease connection at theend of the passage 46 leading into the interior of the housing for thelubrication of the screw. An annular groove 47 in the outer face of head24 conducts grease over to a second passage 48 leading to the interiorof the housing. A grease connection 49 in communication with an annularpassage 50 is adapted to supply grease to two metal tubes 51 and 52which project into head 22 and are connected by passages 53 and 54 withholes through bushings 32 and 31 respectively by means of which thetrunnion bearings are lubricated. A separate grease connection 55 isprovided for lubricating the internal surface of bushing 20.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that as the shell 18 is rotated,due to frictional contact with another rotating roller, the crescentshaped dog 40 will travel from the position of Fig. 1 to the rightthrough the proper thread of the screw, thereby sliding the shell andthe parts attached thereto to the right until the crescent engages thereversing collar 12, whereupon the annulus 35 will be turned on itstrunnions 33, 34 through a small angle to direct the crescent shaped doginto the reverse thread, which will cause the shell and other parts ofthe roll to travel to the left until the crescent encounters thedeflecting half-collar 15 when another shift of the crescent is made anda second cycle begins.

The bevels 37 and 38 are desirable in order that clear- I ances may besmall and yet so that interference will not with reference to the firstdescribed form. In this case,

the traveller consists of the head 62, 63 and an oscillator 65, The headelements 62, 63 have registering cylindrical cavities or wells whichconstitute bearing means for the oscillator'65, which has a cylindricalouter surface. This oscillator along one of its'median planes isprovided with 4 or beveling being for the same purpose as the bevels 37and 38 of the first described-form of the invention.

In Figs. 10 to 13 inclusive'there is shown a second modification inwhich the head 72 and the cap 73, fastened together by screws 74, arehollowed out to provide registering semi-oval cavities forming bearingmeans for an egg-shaped oscillator 75, the long axis of which isperpendicular to the shaft 10. Here the'parts 72, 73 and 75 constitutethe traveller. Symmetrical with a, plane at right angles to the shaft,indicated by the line7 6 of Fig.-l2, is a crescent 77 identical in formand contour with the, cres cents previously .described. The oscillatorhas an opening therethrough defined by conical surfaces 78 and 79 meet-7 ing at the plane 76 and having the same function as the double conicalopening 68, 69 of Fig. 8.

It will be apparent that the operation of the two modificationsillustrated in Figs. 6 to 13 inclusive is thesame as that of the firstdescribed form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive'In all cases the oscillator turns upon an axis at right angles to theshaft axis, with hearings on opposite sides of the shaft. Thisconstruction provides a stable pivotal mounting which overcomes thedifficulties encountered in previous constructions that may one endthereof, means for fixing said housing in said roll,

be said to be of cantilever nature, these djificulties comprisingexcessive wear of the parts, producing loose joints which result ininaccurate action, especially at the moment of reversal, andeventuallyin the points of the crescent a traveller carried by said housing andcooperatingwith said screw, said traveller surrounding the screwjandcomprising an oscillator surrounding the screw with an openingtherethrough of greater diameter than the external diameter of saidscrew, a crescent carried by and fixed with respect to said oscillatorand projecting into said opening, said crescent running in said screwand constituting a driving dog, bearing means for said oscillator car- 7ried by said traveller on opposite sides of said screw, said an integralcrescent 66 having the same form and contours in each direction from theaforesaid plane to provide conical surfaces 68 and 69' as shown in Fig.8, the flaring bearing means being in alignment upon an axis at'rightangles to said screw and cutting said crescent at its midpoint, anddeflecting means at the ends of said screw, for engagement with saidcrescent to turn said oscillator on its said bearing means and'causesaid crescent to enter the reverse thread. v

2. In mechanism of the character stated, a shaft member with a two-wayscrew thereon, an encircling member surrounding said screw, one of saidmembers being held against rotation while the other is adapted to berotated and one of saidmembers being adapted to slide relatively to theother, a traveller carried internally bysaid encircling member, saidtraveller surrounding the screwand.

comprising an oscillator surrounding the scew with an internal surfaceof greater diameter than the external diand cutting said crescent at itsmid-point, and deflecting 7 means at the ends of said screw forengagement with said crescent to turn said oscillator on its saidbearing means and cause said crescent to enter the reverse thread.

3. In an automatic vibrator roll, a fixed shaft, a twoway screw thereon,.a hollow roll enclosing said screw, -a traveller carried by said rolland cooperating with said screw, said traveller comprising an annularoscillator with an internal surface of revolution of greater diameter,than the external diameter of said screw, an internal crescent on saidoscillator running in said screw and constituting a driving dog, bearingmeans for said-oscillatorcarried by said roll on opposite sides of saidscrew, the axis of said bearing means cutting said crescent at itsmid-point, and deflecting means at the ends of said screw for engagementwith said crescent to turn said oscillator on its said bearing means andcause said crescent to enter the reverse thread.

4. A vibrator roll construction as defined in claim 3, wherein theinternal surface of said oscillator is relieved in both directions fromits median plane.

5. A vibrator roll construction as defined in claim 3, wherein the widthof said crescent where it merges with the internal surface of theoscillator is at a rnaxirnu: throughout its extent, the radial dimensionof the crescent at its mid-plane remaining the same from end to end andthe thickness dimension decreasing gradually in two Ways, first from itsmid-point to its ends and second from its outer surface to its innersurface.

6. A vibrator roll construction as defined in claim 3, wherein the widthof said crescent where it merges with the internal surface of theoscillator is at a maximum throughout its extent, the radial dimensionof the crescent at its mid-plane being substantially the same as thedepth of the threads of said screw and the width of the internal surfaceof the crescent decreasing from the mid-point to the ends thereof, theside surfaces of the crescent joining its internal surface and thesurface of the annulus being concave.

7. In an automatic vibrator roll, a fixed shaft, a twoway screw thereon,a hollow roll enclosing said screw, a housing in said roll through whichsaid screw extends, said housing comprising a separable cap, trunnionbearings in said housing and cap disposed diametrically opposite eachother, an oscillator carried by said housing cooperating with saidscrew, said oscillator comprising an annulus with an internal surface ofrevolution of greater diameter than the external diameter of said screw,an internal crescent on said annulus running in said screw andconstituting a driving dog, a pair of opposed outwardly extendingtrunnions on said annulus mounted in the hearings in said housing andcap, the axis of said trunnions cutting said crescent at its mid-point,and deflecting means at the ends of said screw for engaging saidcrescent to turn said annulus on its trunnions and cause said crescentto enter the reverse thread of the screw.

8. In an automatic vibrator roll, a fixed shaft, a twoway screw thereon,a cylindrical shell enclosing said screw and having end closuresrotatably and slidably mounted on said shaft, a two-part head carriedinternally by said shell intermediate its ends, an oscillator mounted inbearing means carried by the two parts of said head on opposite sides ofsaid screw, an internal crescent on said oscillator running in saidscrew and constituting a driving dog, the axis of said opposed bearingmeans cutting said crescent at its mid-point, and tubular connectorsbetween one of said end closures and said intermediate head incommunication with said opposed bearing means, whereby lubricant may betransmitted to said bearing means from one end of the roll.

9. In mechanism of the character stated, a shaft member with a two-wayscrew thereon, an encircling member surrounding said screw, one of saidmembers being held against rotation while the other is adapted to berotated and one of said members being adapted to slide relatively to theother, an oscillator carried internally by said en circling member, saidoscillator comprising an annulus with an internal surface of slightlygreater diameter than the external diameter of said screw, an internalcrescent on said annulus running in said screw and constituting adriving dog, a pair of opposed outwardly extending trunnions on saidannulus, hearings in said encircling member receiving said trunnions,the axis of said bearings and trunnions cutting said crescent at itsmid-point, and deflecting means at the ends of said screw for engagementwith said crescent to turn said annulus on its trunnions and cause saidcrescent to enter the reverse thread.

10. In an automatic vibrator roll, a fixed shaft, a twoway screwthereon, a hollow roll enclosing said screw, an oscillator carried bysaid roll and cooperating with said screw, said oscillator comprising anannulus with an internal surface of revolution of slightly greaterdiameter than the external diameter of said screw, an internal crescenton said annulus running in said screw and constituting a driving dog, apair of opposed outwardly extending trunnions on said annulus, bearingsin said roll receiving said trunnions, the axis of said bearings andtrunnions cutting said crescent at its mid-point, and deflecting meansat the ends of said screw for engagement with said crescent to turn saidannulus on its trunnions and cause said crescent to enter the reversethread.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS717,138 Thomson Dec. 30, 1902. 809,521 McKinley Jan. 9, 1906 1,491,491Ny Apr. 22, 1924 1,642,068 Hart Sept. 13, 1927

